Not A Normal Emergancy Drill
by DoubleBananaBabe
Summary: When a zombie outbreak occurs during school hours, what lengths will the students go to ensure their safety? Thinking about deleting it. Probably will in about a week just so all the amazing authors who reviewed it know.
1. Chapter 1

I want to tell you right off the bat, that I don't believe that zombies should be quick and run. Its just not logical! So, this was written in the sense that zombies are slow son of a guns. These zombies are more based on the book Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks (excellent book, highly suggested by moi) with just a bit of Dawn of the Dead zombie-ness. With that, I hope you enjoy:-D

------------ And so it starts. . . Dun dun dun. . . ----------

VyVy Dang hated mornings, especially when she had been up all night doing a stupid project for her world history class. She finished the project, of course, but at the result of sleeping in an hour late. Now, as she climbed up the stairs to her 0 period class, she regretted the decision of finishing it. She took a sip of the energy drink that she loathed so much and jogged tiredly the rest of the way to class.

The loud noise of talkative teens greeted her as she sat down at her desk, destroyed by graffiti and bubblegum. She set her bag on the floor under her desk and sat her falsely advertised energy drink on "J+A" written on the upper right corner of her desk.

"You're lucky. Our sub is late today," a voice whispered from behind VyVy and she turned around to see her friend, Annie. VyVy instantly smiled when Annie's face grinned at her.

"I wonder if he is old," VyVy thought outloud and Annie giggled silently.

"Old? You just want some eyecandy, hon," Annie laughed.

"Nu uh," she protested, rolling her eyes, and turned around to her book.

"Liar."

"Vy, read," another friend, Lynne, said to VyVy after she tossed a worn notebook onto the desk. Lynne was what one would call an obsessed wrestling fan. So obsessed, that she wrote a short story about her dating Randy Orton. As usual, VyVy opened the notebook and began to read.

"Hey Lynne, did you hear what was on the news?" asked Annie.

"Yeah. Its insane, huh?" Lynne responded with false interest.

"Seriously! I knew something liket his was going to happen but it still surprises me!"

VyVy turned back to Annie and Lynne after being unable to concentrate on the romance with Randy, who was about to propose to Lynne's character after a car crash that almost ended in death.

"What happened? I slept in late. Whats going on?" VyVy asked and looked at the two teenagers next to her.

"Well, believe it or not, theres a new virus of something taking hold of people all around the world. They don't know anything except its like rabies but spreads like tuberculosis! Victims have bite marks that get infected and are complaing of fever, chills, acute pains in the joints, vomiting, and slight dementia! Its just reached America and England and already hospitals are overflowing!" Annie explained with enthusiasm, her green eyes bright with excitement.

"Yeah and all the doctors are comepletely baffled," Lynne added.

"Wow. Thats kind of scary," VyVy said honestly.

"You know what it sounds like?" Annie asked with a smile.

"A new form of rabies?" Lynne answered uncertainly.

"No, zombies!" Annie answered and Lynne groaned.

"Annie- Honey, no. Zombies don't exist."

"Psh! With all the testing nowadays its certainly -"

"Not possible. You know, even if it was just a flu, Annie would think zombies or aliens were behind it!" Lynne said with a laugh.

"HaHa. So funny!" Annie pouted and stuck her tongue out at Lynne, like a child whose lunch was stolen. "Plus, it wouldn't be aliens."

"Why wouldn't it be aliens?" VyVy asked, stepping in.

"Because aliens don't exist, silly!" Annie answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Alright guys, lets quiet down and start class," the substitute said as he walked in, immediately walking to the board and writing "Mr. Daylewood" with a blue expo marker on the white board. Mr. Daylewood turned to the class and smiled. He was indeed handsome, with dark hair that was barely spiked and bright hazel eyes.

"He's cute!" Lynne whispered with a giggle.

"My deepest apologies for arriving late. I had to take my mother to the hospital. She had that sickness that is going around. Let me take roll," Mr. Daylewood explained as he walked to our teacher's desk.

"Not as cute as Tristan, but still a looker," Annie gushed about her boyfriend, Tristan.

"Shushie!" Lynne said with a smile.

"Oh, shushie you!" Annie laughed and Lynne joined. Leave it to Annie and Lynne to laugh over nothing at all.

"Can I have it quiet while I take roll?" Mr. Daylewood asked politely as he pulled a file.

"VyVy Dang?"

"Present."

"Jessica Gomez?"

"Here."

"Lynne Green?"

"Hi!"

"Hello. Kyle Hernandez?"

"Here."

"Kylie Hernandez?"

"Here."

"Annie Pottinger?"

"HEEEEEEEERE!"

"Tom Rider?"

"Yeah?"

"I take it you are here. Mary Sanchez?"

Silence.

"Mary?"

"DITCHING!" called out Jessica.

"Absent. Samual Tiftin?"

"Here.

"Aaaand. Tuan Tran?"

"Here."

And so the beginning of the day started with 0 period, making all the students tired. Annie was going off about the whole outburst when they were supposed to be answering the questions assigned to them and VyVy could see the annoyance grow on Lynne's face, but Annie was so entranced and was waving her hands in pure excitement.

"You know, the bodies are disappearing, right? Just. . . BAM! Gone. Like men's morals when a hot chick with a big set of honkers walks in!" Annie whispered.

"Nice example," Lynne said as she scribbled in her notebook.

"What do you mean?" VyVy asked. An "I can't believe it, get ready" smile crossed Annie's face.

"The bodies. They are disappearing. Original victims. The attackers. All gone. There are even people claiming the government is behind it!" Annie explained.

"Why is it always the government that gets blamed?" Lynne asked, looking over.

"Why? Because people are paranoid. The government is the first thing that comes to mind when these sort of things happen."

"Yeah. The same people who believe that zombies are taking over the world!"

"Thats kind of creepy though. The whole body disappearing thing," VyVy said, making Annie turn her head to her instead of scowling at Lynne.

"Its zombies, I tell you!" Annie said with a smile.

"ITS NOT A FREAKING ZOMBIE, ANNIE!" Lynne snapped, her voice a little above a whisper. Annie blinked at her, as if she kind of expected it but wanted to look surprised, and VyVy gave Lynne a look.

"Lynne, what you don't understand is that there are people who do underground research and experiments, and God only knows what else on other countries."

Annie resituated herself on the chair so she was leaning closer to Lynne, licked her lips, and continued.

"Who knows what some of these sick-os wame up with? Have you ever thought of that? There are brilliant but morbid people out there. Look at Adolf Hitler. Brilliant, but insane, man. There are people out there that think like that still! Perhaps they believe that they are trying to clean out those that aren't strong enough to continue life and create a new world. I'm not saying I am 100, But I am saying that anything is possible."

VyVy and Lynne were silent as they looked at eachother and then back at Annie who had the most serious look any of them had seen on her. What if Annie was right? What if everything she was saying was comletely accurate and this disease was a slow ticking bomb, ready to obliterate all of man?

"But then again, maybe I am just a paranoid treehugger!" Annie said with a laugh as her mood changed completely to the happy-go-lucky girl everyone saw her as. The sudden transition made VyVy jump in slight surprise but Lynne seemed unaffected by it.

"Annie how do you know so much?" Lynne asked.

"You don't watch b-movies and hope nothing sprouts up!" Annie said smiling.

"Like that Frankenfish movie you love so much?" VyVy asked with a small smile.

"Yes, but that was about genetically engineered snakeheads, not zombies," Annie asnwered.

"Well, yeah, of course," Lynne said and bit her lip, feeling uneasy.

"Lets change the subject, huh?" VyVy offered and wrote the answer to a question after giving it a brief read. Silence again.

"I like M&Ms," Annie said randomly.

"What?!" Lynne asked laughing.

"Change of subject!" Annie answered laughing as well. Once again, the two were just laughing and all VyVy could do was roll her eyes and continue her work.

The rest of the period went off in silence. It was the typical day at the highschool. VyVy, Lynne, and Annie did their work. Jessica was sitting in the corner texting with her pink Razor cellphone and listening to her iPod. The twins, Kyle and Kylie, were talking about the latest sports game on ESPN. Tom was just sitting at his desk with headphones on and jamming to his rock music. Probably something like The Sex Pistols or The Clash. He liked them. And last but not least (or probably least), Samual and Tuan were talking about how much they wanted to "screw the hell" out of hot women, from Jessica Alba and Charlize Theron to Scarlett Johansson and Elisha Cuthbert. Mr. Daylewod was just watching the class, not knowing exactly what to do.

The sound of the vice principle came on over the speakers.

"Students and teachers, we are having a minor situation and would very much appreciate it if all those in the top floor of the H building meet up in H24 and those in the top J buildings meet up in J 24. Again, this is just a minor situation and we will get it taken care of immediately. Your full cooperation would be extremely helpful."

Then, there was the sound of the microphone turning off and all was quiet. For a moment.

"Yay! Everyone in the top H building is coming here!" Annie beamed, connecting the dots.

"A little slow there, Annie," Lynne laughed and gathered all her books, putting them in her backpack and Annie copied her. Only the H and J buildings were double-leveled. All the other classrooms were one leveled.

"That means Tristan will be here!" Annie said and burst into schoolgirl giggles.

"And so the PDA starts!" Lynne said sarcastically and VyVy laughed. Still, the girls (and everyone else, for that matter), were still wondering what the situation was. They don't just merge classes together without explanation, right?


	2. Chapter 2

Its easy for a teenager to forget the time when they are having to much fun, and right now, that was the case. Only the handsome Mr. Daylewood and the teacher from the other class were really actually paying attention.

The students from the other class, all seniors in Government class under the teacher Mrs. Fernandez, had met up with an acquaintance and were discussing stuff that only appealed to them. Annie, Lynne, and VyVy had been joined by Tristan and Laura, a friend of Annie's. Annie, of course, lit up and immediately hugged him until Lynne and VyVy made dramatic gagging noises.

"So, what do you think is going on?" Tristan asked as he sat down on a desk and Annie sat on the chair next to the desk.

"Just probably a drill or something. Nothing to worry about," Laura answered as she drew 'Simple Plan' on her hand with a green permanent marker.

"But they said it was a minor problem," VyVy pointed out as she watched Laura, finding nothing better to look at.

"Annie, tell Tristan and Laura what YOU think this whole thing is," Lynne said, giggling to herself as she pulled her long dark hair into a ponytail.

"Zombies," Annie said simply as she nodded. Laura smiled widely and Tristan chuckled.

"Annie, you go on and keep believing its zombies. Then, when we really find out what it is, we can laugh at you," Laura said playfully and Annie gave her a playful hit in the arm.

"I love your creativity," Tristan said and gave Annie's forhead a kiss, which made Annie smile like a fool.

"And I love your everything," Annie giggled back at him.

"EW! PDA!!!" Lynne and VyVy went off at the same time laughing. Then, the speakers went off again. This time, the voice wasn't boring as before, but quite chilling.

"Oh God. Its worse then we thought. Stay in your classes. Please. Stay there. Don't move. I don't know if help is coming. Its all waved on us suddenly and they are left and right. Lock your doors and wait. Just please - "

And then, it was cut off, leaving them in silence for the second time in one day. Even the annoying and "Don't talk to me" Jessica had stopped her texting and her iPod's earphones were sitting on her lap. Mr. Daylewood and Mrs. Fernandez stepped into action, walking over to the door, but then Mrs. Fernandez froze.

"It locks on the outside. Someone has to have the keys to lock it on the outside."

Mr. Daylewood looked at her shocked.

"What?! Why the hell would anyone do that?! We need it locked now! From the INSIDE!" Mr. Daylewood said.

"They made it that way so students couldn't lock their teachers out. It made logical sense," Mrs. Fernandez studdered and put her shakey hand onto her plump chest. Mr. Daylewood bit his lip and looked around.

If it wasn't for the situation, everyone would have laughed as if this was all terrible acting. Even down to Mrs. Fernandez' fake gold rings and Mr. Daylewood's thinking face, it looked like it was right out of a terrible movie that no one liked. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The students looked at the two adults in complete wonder and hope. Hope that this was all a joke. It wasn't everyday that their principle was freaking out on the microphone for announcements. And had they heard him crying, as if in pain, devestation, or fright?

"Well, it doesn't make an fuc - ," Mr. Daylewood stopped when he realized that the students were still looking at him and he gave them a stone hard look. "Kids - "

"Dude, kids are baby goats," Tom said as he leaned back and began biting onto his lip ring.

"STUDENTS," Mr. Daylewood corrected with bitterness, looking straight at Tom, "we need to have a moment of just thought, alright? First, we need to know what is wrong before jumping head first into this. Then, we need to find a way to overcome the problem. But, we need to start it off with securing a place in which to keep us safe. Does anyone have any ideas for that?"

"We could always just lock the door from the outside and get back in. All we need to do is lock it with the key and then have someone still inside open up the door. Its simple, won't take long, and those locks are pretty strong," Kylie said and her twin nodded in agreement.

"Ok, but who will get out and lock the door?" Mr. Daylewood asked and looked around at the terrified students.

"I will. My job is to teach and protect them. While I am at it, I can take a look around and see if there are any other students around campus that need help," Mrs. Fernandez said and put her shakey hands on the door handle. Mr. Daylewood gave her the keys. "Now, just promise me that you will open the door when its done."

Mr. Daylewood nodded and looked at her with a look of somewhat respect. Then, she slipped out. The tension in the air seemed thick.

"Guys, I don't think we need to flip out about this. Have you guys ever thought that MAYBE, like, there is nothing wrong. Perhaps we are all in, like, some really weird TV show to scare people," Jessica pointed out and looked down at her Razor, awaiting the text from her friend.

"Yeah, only in your world," Laura said with hostility. Laura didn't particularly like Jessica and vice versa.

"Maybe something really is wrong. Maybe this is just a drill," Tuan said and shrugged calmly.

"We just have to wait back and see," VyVy added and bit her lip. Mr. Daylewood paced at the door and licked his lips nervously.

"I wonder if Mrs. Fernandez found anything," Lilian Rother, a quiet senior with an elegant beauty and a better personality, thought outloud as she looked at the door. Everyone did the same as her, with the exception of Jessica who was getting slightly impatient for the response of her friend.

"Yeah, she probably found someone. Just taking her time, I bet," Samuel said and drummed his fingers on the desk to an impatient tune. A tune that was making everyone edgy and a bit more nervous.

"How many other classes have 0 periods?" Mr. Daylewood asked as he stopped pacing to look at the students.

"PE has a zero period. English has one," Lynne said and looked out the window at the sky, that was brightening up a bit more.

"No. Classes. Classrooms."

"Maybe ten at most," Lilian said quietly as she held her backpack closer to her chest.

"So, ten other classes. The phone must be able to reach them, right?"

"All except PE. They do their activities outside, at the track. Only on bad days do they go inside to the gym to play basketball or something."

Mr. Daylewood licked his lips again and his pacing started up.

"Where is Mrs. Fernandez?" a female skater, known as Super Kidd, asked as she fidgeted slightly on the counter she was sitting on.

"Hell if I know," Tom said calmly, stretched out his legs, and then rested his head in his arms on the desk. As if Mrs. Fernandez knew what was going on, a light knock came from the door. Mr. Daylewood opened it up in an instant and Mrs. Fernandez walked in a slight faster then she should have, for she almost tripped over her own thrifty clothed feet.

"What happened?" Mr. Daylewood asked as he took her arm for support. She fanned her face with her hand and closed her eyes.

"I don't know exactly what happened, but there are bodies everywhere on the first floor. The J buildings kids and teachers on the second floor said they didn't want to move from where they were, not even to make sure the office was ok. I went downstairs and I saw something I never want to see again," Mrs. Fernandez' voice came through shakey.

"What?" Mr. Daylewood asked as he rubbed her back comfortingly.

"There was a student, no more then a freshman, eating. . . eating a teacher. It was chewing and crunchy. . . And. . . Oh Lord it was dreadful. It had eaten half of the teacher's neck."

"Zombies," Annie whispered, more to herself then to her gawking friends.

"Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," Jessica said, now suddenly getting up from her desk while still looking at her cellphone. Everyone turned their heads to her and waited and she looked up. "Does the TV get the news?"

No one in that room could tell you how fast the portable TV was plugged in, and with Jessica's directions, turned to channel 11 for the news. The known cast of the Fox 11 News came on the screen and there was so much dread and fear in their faces that it seemed to have leaked through the staticy TV and into the room H24.

"Just an update on the unknown epidemic. Local police and firefighters are telling everyone to remain in their houses. Do not move from your home, do not try to leave, don't even draw attention. Lock all windows, doors, anything," Steve Edwards said to the camera and the whole classroom felt as if his brown eyes were staring right into theirs. It was terrifying.

"Local authorities are also saying that they do not know what this is, but are getting help from other resources on how to stop the attacks and virus," the lovely Dorothy Lucey said, who was shaking so badly, her dangle earrings looked like jello during a tremor. "Lets try to get a better image from Rick Dickert with SkyFox."

The image changed to that of the pretty boy, Rick Dickert, who was looking out of the helicopter with a look of sincere fear. He looked back at the camera and gulped.

"The attacks are spreading up the freeway and we are unfortunate to say that . . ." He froze and looked out the window. "Oh God!"

The camera moved a bit and there was a second of minor confusion before the camera was focused. What it was focused on made everyone's blood stop. The freeway was packed with cars. Cars and bodies. Cars. Bodies. Blood. Everywhere. A person was walking, more like stumbling, around the bodies but where his arm was supposed to be was nothing. A bit of bone shone a light pink color from the shoulder and the sound of vomiting came a second later.

"This has been the scene for two miles. Two miles. We don't know how the outbreak started or how it spread so fast, but all we know it that these people are deceased and unless you want to be too, stay inside your home."

"Are there any survivors, Rick?" Dorothy's voice sounded shakey. No one could blame her for her fear.

"I haven't seen any. Its been three hours and I haven't. . ." Dickert's voice stopped and then they saw why he hadn't finished his sentence.

If anyone were to have witnessed what they saw, gone back in time, and told someone, they would have been put into an asylum or just laughed at. Only the druggies, alcohalics, and paranoid would believe them.

A body, a victim to the bloody rampage, rose from its resting place and stumbled down the 405 freeway. The students', and teachers', jaws dropped so quickly that one could have sworn that they heard the muscles give out at the same time.

The person, possibly a male but they couldn't be sure due to distance, had a red t-shirt. It would have looked like any red shirt, except the man's intestines were ripped in half and hanging out of a ragged hole in the stomach. He was tripping over them as he slowly and lazily drudged along the abandoned cars and strewn bodies.

VyVy felt her stomach revolt at the image as she turned her head, in time to see Jessica cover her mouth in pure horror and disgust. Mrs. Fernandez still had her hand clutched against her chest but now Mr. Daylewood was holding her incase she fell again and he looked at the screen in despair.

Then, another body rose up, this one older with a torn up arm.

"Oh my God," Kidd mumbled, falling back onto a wall and bringing her skateboard closer with her foot.

"Turn it off," Jessica whimpered as her hand fell from her mouth and onto her designer-clothed lap.

A person, alive but sporting a large gash that reached from the top of his bald head to his forhead, ran from a wrecked car. Immediately, he pleaded for help to the helicopter and ran from the staggering bodies. The voice of the alive man made the "crazies" follow the sound of it, limping somewhat excitedly to them. The man grabbed his arm, as if it were broken, and began weaving through the cars.

"Oh my gosh! Oh man!" Rick's voice rang clear.

The man then tripped and landed on the ground, face first.

The things were gaining slowly.

The man tried to get up when a hand grabbed his ankle. Yelling in fear and surprise, the man watched as a body emerged from an open car. The head was completely red and there was a piece of flesh from the forehead hung infront of his eyes, hiding its dark and blank stare. It reached over, pulling along the floor to get to the man, and bit into his calf.

"Turn off the TV!" Jessica said louder, but still weakily.

When they had finished getting to the man, the first two crazies joined the thing on the floor, biting into his warm flesh. A spurt of blood shot out when the younger thing bit into the man's neck. Blood erupted as the older thing gripped the man's arm then sunk his teeth into it. The floor thing ripped a chunk of muscle from the man's knee, showing off the man's lovely white knee cap before blood rushed down his leg. Yet the man screamed and tried to get away. Tried. Another gory thing had come out of no where and bit into the man's bottom. It was only after it had finished chewing the meat and went back for more did anyone realize this one was a child, no older then twelve.

"Get the fuck off of me! God! Someone help me!" the man's barely audible voice shot out and VyVy felt goosebumps on her arms.

The only response was that of yet another thing biting into air as it crawled over to him hungrily. After that, the man's strength left and his body became a bit more limp. His screaming was less and less. Finally, his body fell down and became the most popular snack food the crazies could ask for.

The screen turned black as VyVy pressed off the button to the TV.

"Jessica told us to turn it off," VyVy explained and sat back down. Even though the TV was off, they could still see the blood, the ripped and chewed skin, and the complete look of anguish and fright on the guy's face.

"Shit, what was that?" Tuan asked as he looked away from the TV for the first time.

"Zombies," Lynne answered and looked at Annie who was cuddled up in Tristan's chest.

"Oh yeah! Zombies rose from the dead and plan to eat us all to take over the world!" Samuel replied sarcastically.

"Its impossible for a zombie to raise from the dead," Annie pointed out rudely to Samuel.

"Fuck off, Annie!" Samuel growled.

"Fick dich," Annie replied.

"Hey, Samuel, don't talk to Annie that way, alright dude?" Tristan asked. Annie sighed. She forgot how much Tristan hated fighting.

"Hey Tristan, mind your own fucking business," Samuel answered.

"Watch your language, Sam," Mr. Daylewood warned and gave him a look that said 'Do not try it'.

"What do we do now?" Lilian asked, her backpack still clutched to her chest. Soft curls, the color of dark honey, cascaded down her cheek and she pushed it behind her ear.

"We can try to get out and get help. Maybe someone is holed up in the office. We could use a car and drive to a safe place," Tuan suggested.

"Yeah and why don't we pick some daisies as we are dancing and singing out of the school. Hey! Maybe we can even get an ice cream cone while we are fucking getting away from 'zombies'," Samuel butted in coldly.

"Language, Sam," Mr. Daylewood interjected.

"The people on the TV told us to stay inside. Why don't we just do that?" Kidd asked, using her foot to move her skateboard forward and backward.

"I don't want to stay in a school! Its bad enough my best friend isn't here!" Jessica whined.

"Okay. Raise your hand if Jessica should leave right now!" Laura said, raising her hand.

"Laura," Tristan and Annie warned at the same time.

"The little punks look slow. We could simply walk passed them," Kylie said and looked at her brother.

"Yeah. Kylie and I can walk to the other classrooms and see if anyone is okay. We are both fit enough to run if anything comes," Kyle finished.

"The locker rooms are perfect for a safe place. They have strong walls, water from sinks and showers, bathrooms. If anything does get in, there are three doors we could use to get to the outside and that puts us almost ontop of the parking lot. Back up plan," Annie said with a wide smile.

"Yeah but there is one problem. The locker rooms are ACROSS campus!" Lynne pointed out.

"We can walk through the service roads," VyVy smiled.

"No! we can use supervisions' carts. They keep them infront of the office and they are pretty quiet," Mrs. Fernandez exclaimed excitedly.

"Well the carts hold all of us?" VyVy asked as she counted everyone.

"I'll use my skateboard," Kidd said stubbornly and pressed down on the edge of the skateboard, causing it to stand tall. She caught it effortlessly.

"I actually think we should all be careful. Sound attracts them. On foot wouldn't be as quick but safer," Annie said. "And we should get some sort of sharp objects in case we are attacked."

"Like scissors?" Lilian asked.

"Yeah. We could use the pole from the flag, too! Even the wood stick that has our room number on it that we use for drills or emergancies," Annie answered.

"Then should we get going?" Kylie asked standing up, her brother doing the exact same thing with only seconds as the difference.

"Better now then when all the dead arise."


	3. Chapter 3

Its amazing what you can find in a classroom. Each person had a pair of scissors while Kylie carried the stick. Mrs. Fernandez found comfort in handling a fire extinguisher and it was held close to her breast.

"Where are we -" Jessica was interupted by Mr. Daylewood's hand rising up in a signal of silence. Then he turned to her and placed a finger over his lips vertically. Jessica whimpered and bit her bottom lip, clearly not liking the silencing or the situation one bit.

The silence and tension made all of them uncomfortable, but they managed to get to the stairs quietly and with no problem. Tuan fidgeted in anxiety as he took the first step down the stairs and was followed by Samual, Mr. Daylewood, Mrs. Fernandez, Kidd, and Tom. Tristan and Annie were in the last group to come down the stairs with VyVy, Lynne, Laura, Jessica, and Lilian.

"We have to keep quiet," Mr. Daylewood whispered as everyone did a quick look over the open halls. The students must have just started coming through the blue gates of the highschool, for there were bodies everywhere. A hacky sack, spotted in drying blood was lying next to a former student, who had gone to school with the idea of getting murdered by a bunch of zombies far from his mind.

A blush compact, open and reflecting the light from the sun, was just sitting patiently on the ground for her bottle blonde owner to correct her fake appearance. The blonde, who was sprawled out on the dirty concrete, would never use that compact again. A sick thought ran through Laura's mind as she passed the girl.

_Probably not the best time to put on makeup, eh hon?_

They walked slowly passed an older supervisor, their dead hand still grasped to their walkie-talkie, as the body rested in a pool of crimson liquid.

A nearby cellphone rang out its existance cleary as a -

Stumbling with clumsiness, a lone culprit came limping from an open classroom. Quickly it was recognized as the gentle and quiet algebra teacher, Mrs. Thomas. Her graying hair was in its usual position, pulled a top her head, and her glasses just hovered over the tip of her nose. "Mrs. Thomas" looked over at the sound of the cellphone and stupidly walked over to it, her attention focused on the vibrating phone.

The students and teachers just sat watching as the now crazied Mrs. Thomas picked the phone up and bit into it. When it had figured out it wasn't a piece of warm flesh that would satisfy its hungry lust, it dropped it to the floor and everyone could hear the crack it made when it hit the concrete. Jessica jumped lightly at the sound and turned her head away from it.

Mrs. Thomas let out a low moan. A moan that sent shivers up all of their spines and made their arms grow goosebumps. A moan that would most likely haunt the dreams of the innocent teens until they passed away, their families unable to comprehend why they screamed till their heart stopped. Now, it was a moan that came from behind them and when they turned around, a terror filled yell hung in their throats.

Only Tuan would recognize this thing coming up to them. Her hair, short and black, was cropped at her bloodied jaw. She was small and thin and one could easily place her as a freshman.

"Hao. . . Oh my god. . ." Tuan whimpered lightly as he took a step to this thing named Hao. She held up her arms and her fingers flexed as he came closer.

"You idiot! Get away from it!" Lynne called out and went to grab him back but Samual pulled her away.

"Now who is the idiot to try and stop him!" Samual growled and started walking off.

"What, do you WANT him to die, you dick?!" Lynne asked as she growled at the back of his head.

"We have to go. Now," Annie warned, her green eyes getting wide. Tuan ignored everyone, advancing on the girl he had woken up earlier. Hao, only thirteen, was his sister. Hao liked to watch movies on fluffy animals and listen to singers like Vanessa Hudgens and Cheyenne Kimball. She did her homework and never complained on anything except what type of shirt to wear. Now, she was tripping stupidly to someone who she only recognize as her next entrée! Not her brother.

A low moan escaped her throat and now Mrs. Thomas looked over curiously at the sound. Seeing the arrival of a new food group, she started drudging over excitedly.

"We have to go! NOW!" Annie repeated, this time her voice had a bit more worry in it. Tristan took Annie's hand and pulled Laura over closer to them incase they needed to make a quick get-a-way. He wasn't about to let anything take his friends, let alone some crazy zombie thing that was about to munch everyone up!

"I'm not waiting for this dumb guy to get ripped apart by his own dead sister. Screw that, man!" Kidd exclaimed and hopped onto her skateboard, riding off down the hall after giving it a good push.

"KIDD!" Lilian yelled and watched as Kidd disappeared behind a building.

"This isn't good," Jessica stated the obvious.

"Why haven't we moved?!" VyVy asked. "We should all be following after Kidd and getting into the locker rooms."

"I can't go. I . . . I must stay here with Hao," Tuan whispered.

"WHY?! Tuan! She is gone. Its not her anymore. Leave her alone!" Annie begged, clinging onto Tristan as if afraid of what might happen next.

"NO! You know what I said to Hao last time I saw her? I called her a whore. . . She is thirteen and I called her a whore!" Tuan's voice was a mixture of hurt and anger at what he had said. "And she replied back with an 'I will see you later' smile before running off to her friends. Her birthday was in a month. . ."

"Screw it, man. He isn't moving!" Samual announced and turned his walking to a full out run in the direction Kidd had gone. In the direction where their supposed safety and protection waited from the moans and grubby handed crazies.

"God, I am so sorry Hao. I love you. I am so sorry."

Hao and Mrs. Thomas were getting closer. Ever closer.

"Thats it. Lets go. Now," Mr. Daylewood demanded, realizing that Tuan was going to stay there until he died. Until he reanimated and tried to attack them.

Tuan had barely heard him as Hao grabbed him by the shoulders and sunk her teeth into his shaken body. An instant later, blood popped up turning her once white teeth to red. He started crying and gave Hao a hug while she dug into the flesh. Mr. Daylewood grabbed Mrs. Fernandez and pulled her away before she started to wail and attract anymore of those. The students quickly followed without looking back.

"I'm sorry, Hao. I'm so sorry."

The last thing that they saw before turning the corner was Mrs. Thomas indulging into Tuan as Hao ripped off another chunk of her brother's skin while he cried his apologies.


	4. Chapter 4

Crunch. Rip. Tear.

"I love you, Hao. I'm so very sorry."

Tuan closed his eyes, shutting off the vision of the bloody world from his brown eyes. Instead of seeing the pitch black abyss that one sees, he saw himself that morning. Him and Hao.

_Her hair was slightly damp from her early shower and she smelled of her Suave shampoo._

"Tropical coconut," Tuan recalled outloud. Mrs. Thomas or Hao paid no mind to his trip down memory lane as they ripped off his flesh, layer by layer. Perhaps more then that.

_"Good morning, Tuan," Hao greeted warmly and sat down across from him at the breakfast table. The sun's early rays were hitting her face at just the angle to make her dark brown eyes look like the light caramel color of hard candy. A bowl of Special K breakfast cereal was infront of her and she took a bite of it like she did every morning._

_"Shove off, Hao," Tuan replied coldly and looked down at his cereal. Boy, how he hated this stuff. But Hao liked it. Hao loved it. Who cared what Tuan liked, right? It had been that way ever since the worn but happy doctor declared that the baby was a girl. Then, his parents loved her more then him. She had the bigger room, the better clothes, and better grades which made her get more attention._

_"I'm sorry. I'll be quiet," Hao mumbled and bit her bottom lip sadly. She could never really hide her feelings well._

_"Hao. Shut up," Tuan looked up at her again and pushed the cereal away from him. The milk sloshed around with such force that a drip or two escaped from the bowl and onto the table._

_"I'll clean that up for you," Hao offered and stood up, immediately walking to the paper towels. Tuan looked at his sister in such distaste before crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes. _

_"Whatever," Tuan said. He could hear the slight ripping sound as she tore off a sheet of paper towels and her little feet tap on the tile of the kitchen. Carefully, so she couldn't tell, he peeped an eye open and watched her. She wasn't even looking back. She was just paying attention to the milk that had gotten away. Quickly, she wiped it up and wadded the paper towel up._

_"There. I picked it up for you. Are you looking forward to another day at school?" she asked as she walked over to the trash can, tapped the lever on the bottom to open the top, and dropped the used towel into its trashy tomb. _

_"Why the hell would I look forward to going to school? Thats such a gay question," Tuan answered rudely and let out a throaty chuckle.._

_"You mean stupid, right?" _

_"Huh?"_

_"Well. Gay. It really means happy. And you shouldn't use it that much because I read an article in my magazine that said it makes homosexuals feel more afraid to come out and be who they really are. So you mean stupid, right?" Hao questioned and walked to the table, sitting down in the chair she had claimed as her own earlier. Gosh. Why did she had to care about all that crap? It was just a stupid question._

_"No. I mean gay. And why the hell do you care?" Tuan answered with a question right back to her._

_"Well, I just like correcting people. If more people stop using it, maybe people won't have to be afraid or ashamed with who they are. Then people can live in peace and happiness," Hao said hopefully, a small little curve hitting the sides of her lips into a smile._

_"Sorry to bust your bubble, but as long as people are around, there will never be peace and happiness. And if you weren't such a whore, you'd know that," Tuan nipped at her verbally and uncrossed his arms, getting up from the table and walking to the door._

_"One has to be positive, brother. I want to make a difference. Tell mom I will be out in a minute," Hao finished with a smile._

Tuan's eyes opened up and he gazed upon his little sister. Her mouth and down her neck was thick with his blood and occasionally those beautiful brown eyes would show themselves.

His little sister.

There was a pain in his back and then a feeling of flooding warmth ran down his bottom and legs. But he had hardly noticed. Instead, his eyes closed slowly and the feeling of being unstable took over him as he feel to the concrete. Black surrounded him.

"I love you, Hao."

Then, he felt no more. No longer did he feel the tugging of Mrs. Thomas ripping open his stomach. No longer did he feel the initial agonizing pain that was Hao biting into his warm intestines. No longer did he feel his body be robbed of the crimson liquid that kept him alive. And no longer did he wallow in self pity at his venomous words.


	5. Chapter 5

_**This chapter means a bit more to me due to the fact that my mother, whom I love so very much, helped me revise and fix it up a bit. Also, thanks to all those who have taken the time to give me comments about it. You guys seriously rock! Just a handful of those people are Darcy, Aubree, Chris, Yendor87, Aromero1tolkien, Carradine, Matt, and my baby sister!**_

_**So with that said, the rest of this story is dedicated to mum. Je t'aime, ma mere. I hope one day all my actions and thoughts make you proud!**_

Annie cuddled closer against the toned body next to her that belonged to Tristan and tried not to think of what she had just witnessed. Sure, she could watch movies with blood and gore, but when it was real and in front of her it was different. Not only that, but Tuan was a classmate and even had hit on her a couple times. (Annie was convinced it was due to a certain "endowment" she possessed)

And Hao. . .She was only a freshman, only a few years older then her little sister, Leah, and the same age as her best friend. So, why her? Annie could easily put in a guess.

Hao was a gentle spirit, much like the senior Lilian she was traveling with, and had probably been walking through the school halls when she saw the first victim. Maybe it had been a friend, but anyhow, Hao most likely became concerened and went to help. Only to become entangled in the web of man's abomination.

"You alright?" Tristan whispered and held her closer to him as the group continued their cautious venture to the locker rooms.

"Yeah, great," Annie responded and looked up at him with a false smile. Tristan grinned back at her, though inside the mystery of the situation and the death gnawed at his warm insides.

"Annie, you aren't a very good liar," Tristan said with a slightly genuine chuckle.

"I'm sorry. Its just. . . everything," Annie mumbled and tore her eyes away from Tristan's only to have his hand raise her head to his level again.

"I am not going to say that its all going to be okay because I don't know. But, I am going to say that what ever happens, happens. Just remember that I am here for you and to stay that optimistic girl that I like so much," Tristan said with a smile. Gosh, that amazing smile of his could reduce her to mush. Annie could only smile back.

"Darn you and your perfectness!" Annie laughed. Although they put on happy faces, devastation still tossed and tumbled through their minds.

"The locker rooms are right around the corner," Lilian announced.

Confused, shaking, and feeling a sudden pang of reality, Kidd wiped her hands over her tight jeans although there was nothing on them. Her skateboard was slowly floating away and only the chain link fence stopped it.

The thing lying on the floor, dead for the second time in the same day, caused to her feel dirty all over. Its hungry moan had taken her back to her childhood nightmares. To a place where the tooth faerie preyed on helpless children and Jolly ol' St. Nick murdered people in their sleep while they dreamed of presents and candy.

Kidd backed away from the motionless body, her hands slowly coming to a halt.

Was she a murderer?

Of course not! The thing that had came at her intending to do harm! It was self defense! But still. . .

Quickly, she shook the thought out of her head. It wanted to hurt her, multilate her, consume her. She had bashed its head to a bloody pulp instead. With her skateboard, which was just sitting by the chain link fence surrounding the school pool. But she was NOT a murderer. Yes, it was alive at one time, but not anymore. Or, it had to have been sick. She had done it a favor!

Yes. That was it. End of story. Finished. Fini. Close the book and leave it to gather dust for the next decade.

Death.

Kidd felt a shudder go through her body and her fists tightened.

"Leave me ALONE!" Kidd yelled to the dead undead. Its only response was silence as it continued to kiss the ground with it's cold and dead lips.

She walked over to her skateboard ( which still had a clump of the attacker's hair at the end) and ran to the door of the girls' locker room. The fact that safety was so close was comforting and Kidd had a smirk as she opened the door and stepped inside.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?!" a voice resonated in her ears.


	6. Chapter 6

_All too easy. Tuan was a fool._

Smirking in his usual cocky manner, Samual moved down the halls of his rundown school. Posters advertising for the new student school council hung in bright colors on the walls, their fancy writing dark and bold to carch one's eye. He just passed them, never even taking note of the occasional spray of blood that still slowly dripped down.

He had a plan. Even better was the fact that it was a simple plan. Everyone was going to slow him down. They were going to bring these crazy things to them.

And he didn't want to die, no sir. Plain and simple. He wanted to live, even it if it meant leaving the pathetic group of worthless people behind. He was smarter then to stay them. His keys barely jangled in his pocket and he put his hand over them to silence any possible noise. One could never be too safe, yeah?

A low moan came from his right and when he looked, he was surprised to see it was one of his ex-girlfriends.

"Alannah? Looks like you got fucked . . . big time!" chuckled Samual. And, indeed, it did. Her blonde hair was in its normal style, curly and in two ponytails, but it was messy and there was a piece of drying bubblegum in one of the ponytails. Her generally mysterious brown eyes had a soulless and hard look. Those long legs that Samual loved to caress when they cuddled -

_More like when I felt her up!_

- were exposed and showing off bite marks that were too deep to be love bites. He also noticed that her ankle was slightly swollen.

"You probably tripped when running for your life, right, Alannah? Too bad, so sad," he said, faking a frown, then he simply walked out of her reach.

_Too easy._

The tall blue gates to the parking lot came into view as he turned the corner. And, if you looked in the right plane, you could even see the yellow mustang that belonged to the egotistical Samual. It just sat there, waiting for the moment the key sparked the engine and it would fly down the road in only the way sports cars can.

A feeling of safety and comfort filled him just at the sight. His slow walked turned to a fast pace and then into an easy jog. The keys jangled louder, but he didn't silence them this time. Instead, he dug his hand in his pocket and fished them out.

Then, the rest was what would have happened any other school day. The alarm of the car was turned off with the click of a button, Samual slipped into the car, and he granted the car's wish of being used. His normal lap around the lot was even done!

"Its all the same. Nothing is different. Its all in the mind," he muttered aloud. And he almost accomplished his escape mission.

Almost.

As the spiffy yellow Ford Mustang reached the intersection, all his hopes were crashed when a van hit the driver's side of Samual's car. The door instantly bent in half at the force and was sent into his side, cutting deeply and easily like butter and a steak knife.

A gasp of surprise slipped through his lips when he looked down at the damage. Blood was already started to ruin the blue cotton fabric of his polo shirt. When he tried to move, more blood just seeped out and more of his insides were exposed to the unsanitary air.

"Fuck!" he growled and a spurt of spit flew from his mouth, landing on the wheel. Wiggling his body more, he swore he could hear the sound of his ribs cracking with each slight move. The man driving the van climbed out of the van, oblivious to the dying teenage that was in the car ahead of him, and ran down the street screaming. Screaming loudly.

_Damn, he's gonna attract every infected around here! I have to get out!_

Instead of try to push the door out of his ribs, he went the opposite way only to realize that he was pinned between the door and the poking gear shift. But, he had managed to rip layers of skin off his side. Was that bloodied pink thing poking out of the wound an intestine?

A taste of salt filled his mouth a second before vomit spewed from it and onto his jeans. His body was trembling in shock and in a sudden cold feeling all over.

Reality hit him.

He was dying.

It was inevitable.

So, he closed his brown eyes and relaxed his body. Death's blanket of mortality tucked him into sleep for the last time. Into a sleep in which he would never awake. Samual Tiftin was now as dead as his escape plan.

Too bad, so sad.


	7. Chapter 7

**My deepest apologies for this bland chapter, but I needed to introduce the two new characters. I hope that you can still find enjoyment even though this is a dry chapter, but I promise the insanity and zombie action will come again. **

"Look out!"

All eyes turned to the staggering thing that Jessica had pointed out. It was simply unrecognizable. Its light colored hair was bloody and muddy. The skin on the face was nearly ripped off, showing the little group the muscles that lie under it, and there were bite marks all up the neck and arms. Morbid thoughts ran through the teenagers' minds, comparing the stumbling thing that once had a life to a piece of swiss cheese.

"It was probably one of the original victims at the school," Annie mumbled and turned her head.

"Its so. . . slow. . ." Kyle said in disbelief, as he watched the thing progress closer to them in an almost trance.

"If its so slow, why do we fear it so much?" Kylie asked to no one in particular.

"Um. . . Because it kind of wants to eat us?" Lynne answered obviously and looked at Kylie as if she was crazy for thinking such silly thoughts.

"Kylie, you know better then to underestimate your opponent. Think of it like sports. They may look pathetic, but they may sudden get you when you least expect it," Kyle pointed out and finally, his gaze broke away from the contemporary monster moving closer to them.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt your little. . . conversation, but I kind of want to get somewhere safe," Lilian whimpered.

"Yes. Lets get going students. The locker rooms are right around the fence surrounding the pool. Safety first," instructed Mrs. Fernandez and looked up at Mr. Daylewood, who cleared his throat and nodded.

"Yeah. Do that. Then we can break down the issue and get a way to a more secure safety," Mr. Daylewood finished and then looked at Mrs. Fernandez for approval. She nodded.

Lilian, Lynne, and VyVy stayed close to Mrs. Fernandez who led the group. Laura, Tristan, and Annie were in the middle in a tight little line. Then, it was a terrified looking Jessica, the sporty twins, the rocker Tom, and finally Mr. Daylewood in the back.

"Kyle, how many people do you think have died so far?" Kylie whispered to her brother who was paying attention to his peripheral. No one ever looked there at the last second, now did they?

"Too many," answered Kyle simply and he turned back to his sister who bit her lip and looked back up at him.

"Do you think we are going to make it out of this alive? I mean, the last thing I saw on the streets was a van and it was going too fast. I think it may have plowed into something," she said.

"If it plowed into something, wouldn't you think that the ambulance would have come?"

"Thats the thing. If what was happening was really big, an ambulance may never come," Kylie pointed out worriedly. Her brown eyes were large and had a look of terror in them. Kyle could tell that it was genuine and that look was something he hadn't seen on her for a while. Not since they stayed up all night when they were younger and watched Goosebumps stuff. Kyle and Kylie barely heard Mrs. Fernandez say something about being careful up ahead.

"Kylie, sis, it takes an ambulance an average of 30 minutes to arrive at the scene of an accident. Its been, what, ten minutes maybe? Don't stress -"

Kyle was cut off as he tripped over something large on the ground, and in instinct, he put his hands out infront of him to block hisfall. His landing was on something somewhat hard object, but not as hard as the concrete his knee slammed against. Kylie let out a scream but was silenced quickly probably by some person.

"What the hell?" Kyle asked confused and lifted his body up.

What he had fallen on was a body. A body that wasn't moaning or grabbing at Kyle in a need to consume his flesh. Its head was bashed in and Kyle's hand was lying in a little pool of thick blood on the concrete.

"Oh dude. Thats like, totally rancid, man," Tom said and something in the tone of his voice sounded amused. He offered his hand out to Kyle and he took it, pulling himself off the dead body and ground.

"Its gross!" Jessica squealed and put her hand over her mouth in an act of disgust.

"Guys, shut up. I didn't see it!" Kyle bit back, feeling embarrassed at his clumsiness. He wiped his hands on his shirt and felt the sting of an open wound on the harsh fabric of his sweater.

"I said to watch out. Didn't you hear me?" Mrs. Fernandez asked concerned.

"No. We were talking," Kylie answered for Kyle and looked at him.

"Are you alright?" VyVy asked.

"Yeah. Cut myself, thats all. Must have done it when I fell," Kyle answered, looking down at the skinned part on his hand. There was a bit of blood on it and he wiped it off with the other hand.

"Are you bleeding?" Annie questioned suddenly.

"Yeah. Just a little bit. Don't worry. I can clean it up when we get into the locker rooms," Kyle answered and for a second, all the questions made him feel as if he was being interviewed after a winning game. But, there was no feeling of accomplishment, just a feeling of stupidity. Annie bit her lip back hard.

"Lets head to the locker rooms again, alright?" Lynne suggested and continued the walk.

"Yeah. Lets," Kyle mumbled and looked at his hand again. His knee was throbbing from the contact of the concrete at such a force, his hand was burning from the skin that was pulled off from the ground, and he was beginning to feel a slight discomfort at the situation. Who knew how many diseases these infected people had. They weren't zombies. They weren't some fictional thing that was only made up to bring in money and to make people hate going to the cemetary. It was some disease, some virus, that must have been an 'uh-oh' in some facility. Perhaps it was a matured bacteria stream that affected people's minds. That had to be it. There was no way that fictional beliefs could actually happen.

They turned the corner of the fence into the little pathway that led to the locker rooms. The first door was the entry to the boys locker room. Locked. The second door was a door into a classroom they used for swimming instructions and such. Locked. The third one was the door to the girls locker room. Unlocked.

Opening the door with a feeling of confidence and of hope, they stepped into the room and were immediately taken back at how such a terrible looking locker room held so much promise. The benches in each locker aisle were wearing down and if you moved on it in the wrong way, you were sure to get a splinter where the sun don't shine! The tan lockers had writing on them. The lockers were victims to bored teenagers with an available sharpie or a carving utensil. The flooring (which was as hard as concrete) had cracks and random chips in random places. So little, yet so amazing to them.

When everyone was in, Mr. Daylewood closed the door behind him and looked around.

"Shouldn't Kidd or Samual be in here?" Jessica asked, huddling into her white jacket even though it wasn't cold.

"Yeah. They knew we were coming here," Lynne answered and looked down the aisles.

"Well, I am here. I haven't seen Samual," a familiar voice said and when they looked to their left, Kidd stood there with her hands in her hoodie pockets.

"Kidd!" Annie said happily.

"Sup?" Kidd greeted back with a smirk.

"Boy, are we glad you are safe because if we saw one more little mindless thing walking around here, I was going to loose my mind!" Lynne said with a laugh.

"Yeah. I bet. By the way, we aren't alone in here. Guys, I think you know Hope and her boyfriend Kale," Kidd introduced as a blonde attached to a man walked in from the teacher's office. Hope was biting the inside of her lip and looking at all of them with her blue eyes as she did so. Kale, her boyfriend, kept his head low so you could barely see his face.

"Hi," Hope said simply and smiled.

"They ditched zero period to. . . get to know their bodies a bit more -"

"We had sex!" Hope interrupted enthusiastically.

" - So they've been here the whole time," Kidd finished.

"Do they know anything?" Jessica asked.

"Well, we do know that supposedly these things are dead. Totally zombies," Hope said after finishing from her lip biting again.

"Oh God. Another Annie!" Kyle mumbled under his breath before walking to the sinks to wash the wound on his hand.

"AND if you have any contact with them, you should make sure none of their bodily fluids inside you. If that happens, you're fucked!" Hope finished happily and smiled.

"Well, thats just glorious, now isn't it?" Lynne said sarcastically and sat down on the bench in that row.

"Is it safe in here?" Lilian asked as she glanced around.

"Totally. Teachers locked every door except the one that people keep walking through. Perhaps we should leave a sign outside that says 'leave us alone, we do not like you'!" Hope answered with a laugh.

"There is a TV in there, isn't there? And a radio? The PE teacher always played music before class and watched TV at lunch," VyVy pointed out with a sudden burst of energy.

"Yeah. We've been watching it. Taking notes, ok, not really. But you guys get my point!" said Hope.

"And?" Jessica asked as she stepped up to Hope.

"Go see for yourself. I'm not a messenger!" Hope laughed and backed away from the door, allowing people in.

The office was small with a desk in the middle across from the door. A blue couch was next to the door, across from the desk, and the TV was on a table against the wall. The familiar Dorothy was on TV with the look of fright still plastered on her face.

"And again, we remind you. Please stay in your home, lock all your doors and windows and don't leave your home. Local authorities will do their best to aid you but currently, there seems to be less help as these diseased and deranged criminals . . . attack anything that crosses their path," Dorothy's voice was an attempt at strength, but it received an 'F'. Then what she said next chilled everyone to the bone.

"Help may not come. This is Dorothy on channel 11 news. Please stay tuned for the latest updates."


	8. Chapter 8

"Did you wash it with soap and water? I got some bandaids from the office so we can cover your hand. Are you listening, Kyle?"

Kyle smiled a little at his sister's rambling. Yes. He had washed his hand with soap and water. No, he did not need a bandaid. Yes, he was listening.

His hand's wound stung slightly as he dried it off on a brown paper towel. The cut wasn't that bad, really. There was only about an inch of open skin. The rest of the cut didn't even break the skin, only the thin line up his hand.

"Kylie, calm down. Really. It'll heal. I'm not gonna die," Kyle responded back with his wide optimistic smile. She simply sighed and leaned against the wall, placing her crossed arms over her chest. Smiling still, he walked to his sister and put his hands on top of her shoulders.

"I know. Its just. . . If something happens to you, I don't know what i'd do," whimpered Kylie as she looked at him weakly. What he was looking at was not the tough water polo player his sister was, but the younger of the two twins. The one that wasn't allowed to feel the heartbreak of a breakup, or have the life they did. It was true, though. All they had was eachother. The Hernandez twins were the result of hard liquor and a free spot in the backseat of a car. After their mother found out she was with child (or with children!), she tried her best to have a miscarriage. She'd overwork, she'd drink this liquid that was supposed to kill the child, and she'd jump off elevated areas. By the time she realized it wasn't doing anything, it was too late to perform an abortion. So, she hooked up with some alcoholic man whore and popped out the twins, determined to ruin their lives the way they did unto her.

To them, sports wasn't just a way to have fun, but to break away from the horrors that they called home. It would also give them scholarships and make it easier to pay for college. It was their way out of the deep hole of poverty and pain.

"Nothing will happen. I'll be fine. We'll get out of here and not have to worry about anything. I promise," Kyle encouraged. Kylie now smiled and her eyes brightened.

"Thank you," was all she could manage before tears started to trickle down her cheeks and she hugged him.

_It'll be okay. I promise. I won't let anything hurt you, Kylie. And i'll be damned if something does._

Lilian sat on the blue couch with her legs pulled up to her chest. Her long arms wrapped around her legs as her chin rested on her knees. There had to be a reason why this was happening. Or, maybe, it was all a nightmare.

_Okay, Lilian. Time to wake up now. I don't like this dream. Make it go away. . . Please?_

She closed her brown eyes and sighed heavily. This was insane. It wasn't normal. Maybe this whole thing was some weapon the terrorists had acquired and unleashed upon their enemies with cold smiles. She could just picture them, laughing and saying "Whose the best now?" in heartless voices. The thought made Lilian shudder.

Was this event, if it pleases you to call it that, a weapon of some sort? Was it the newest weapon, taking the place of the atomic bomb? Whatever it was, Lilian didn't like it. She wished it would just go away and leave everyone alone!

Something light weight hit Lilian in the head and when she looked down at it, she saw a piece of wadded up paper.

"I've been saying your name for, like, five minutes, man. You must have been thinking something heavy 'cause you didn't even budge!" the deep voice belonging to Tom said out of the blue.

"So you threw a piece of paper at me?" Lilian asked in mild confusion.

"Got your attention, didn't I?" Tom answered back with a grin, and sat back in the teacher's chair with his spread out legs crossed and his hands behind his head. Lilian didn't know why, but she laughed.

"Yeah, I guess you did," Lilian said with a small smile. "Why'd you need my attention?"

"Well, I want to get your opinion on all this. Do you think its some disease in the noggin or do you believe the blonde? That zombies came back from the dead to get our brains," Tom asked and when he sat back a bit further, the chair creaked in protest.

"I don't know."

"Of course you don't know, man, but you must have opinion! Thoughts! Something!"

"Well, I guess it could be a weapon. Someone is always bent on world domination. How do we know this isn't their attack plan?" answered Lilian with a shrug.

"Oh. I like that. Thats original!" Tom grinned.

"What about you, Mr. Calm Guy?" Lilian asked, smiling as well.

"It has to be mental. Television is finally catching up. Video games, computer, all that shit, man! Maybe this whole thing is just some crazy game!" Tom answered.

"Thats a different idea! Your idea is pretty original too!" said Lilian with a laugh. "But, its got holes. For example, how can we be all having the same thoughts and visions?"

"How do I know you aren't in mine. Or, I am in yours and just giving away the plot?" Tom said with a wink.

"Aren't you worried at all?" Lilian asked curiously, after a second to laugh at Tom's answer.

"Not really, man. They are slow from what we've seen, so I don't really worr- SHIT!"

Tom immediately jumped from his seat and onto the desk, a look of sheer terror on his face.

"What?! Whats wrongs!" Lilian shrieked as she jumped up in surprise. She looked to where he was looking and saw nothing there except -

"SPIDER! Ew! Oh man!" Tom whimpered and when she looked back at him, he looked close to tears.

"Its just a spider. Its a daddy long-leg, Tom. Thats a - "

"Its got long skinny legs and bites you with its fangs! Its small and . . . ahh! Its a flippin' spider!" Tom whined and his eyes filled with tears as his bottom lip trembled.

"Again its a - "

"Kill it! Move it! Do something! I BEG of you!"

Lilian couldn't help but smile and she got up. She put a piece of paper from the desk under the spider and the spider scurried up quickly. Then, Lilian walked over to the room where the balls, nets, and ropes were kept and put the paper down.

"Whats wrong?!" Jessica panted as she ran into the office.

"Tom saw a spider," answered Lilian after she closed the door to the storage closet.

"A spider? Tom screamed like a girl because of a spider?" Jessica asked in disbelief as she cocked an eyebrow and looked at Tom.

"Shut up. It was big. Probably a black widow. I did you a favor," Tom whimpered, gaining his tough attitude back slowly.

"Don't worry though. The threat of the daddy long-leg is abolished," Lilian joked and sat back done on the couch. As Jessica left the room, she said "a spider" while chuckling. Lilian smiled at Tom as he sat back down on the chair. He mumbled something that sounded like "Thanks for eliminating the enemy" and looked up at her. There was a carefree spirit about him again, and for some reason, he felt distant. As if he was in a land where only he could go. His "Special" place.

"Tom, can you tell me something?" Lilian asked, killing the silence.

"Hm?"

"How do you get your hair to stay like that? My hair doesn't do that."

Tom chuckled as he watched Lilian try to put her hair in a faux-hawk, similar to his. Lilian grinned widely at him.

"Funny. Your a funny chick, ya know that?" he said and Lilian could see him relax again. That cheered her up!

"I try. Now, would you care to educate me in the hair styling of a punk rocker?"

"Lil, Sheena is a punk rocker. Not me."

"Who's Sheena?"

Tom just laughed again.


	9. Chapter 9

It was colder then Karen Douglas thought it would be when she had woken up this morning and put on a pair of cut-off shorts. Her thin white sweater didn't once warm her enough to rid off the goosebumps across her arms and her tank top didn't help much, either. The day was supposed to be warm, or atleast thats what the forecast had told her, but instead the sky was cloudly and the trees were moving their branches softly with an invisible breeze.

For the fifth time since exiting J24, she glanced down at the screen of her cell phone and refreshed the screen.

No new messages.

She let an almost audible sigh escape from between her lips and continued to walk down the halls of her school. Jessica, her best friend, had sent her a text message minutes ago telling her to get to the locker room and quickly. Now, Karen was doing just that. She had already been approached by some girl with a large slash down her arm. But, for some odd reason, the girl just kept walking to Karen, a look of desire on her face. The only thing that the girl had managed to accomplish was bite a clear bit of flesh off Karen's hand. She had pushed the thing away, but it was persistant. It just kept getting up and going to Karen for more, so she had just run. She hadn't seen it since.

As she turned her head to look back, she felt her foot hit up against something in the path and she lost her balance. Her body collided with the cement and she heard the sound of her cell snapping in half.

"What the hell?" Karen asked outloud as she pushed herself off the ground so that she was sitting with her legs bent and her bum resting on her feet. Her knee was skinned but other then that, she was a-okay! Out of curiousity, she turned around to see the source of her clumsiness and her body froze. It was, or had been, a student. His stomach, ripped open, was bloody and Karen thought she saw a half of a nail dug into the ragged flesh.

"Oh my. . ." Karen whispered and continued to look at the corpse. His neck had multiple wounds (that ironically looked like bite marks) and his arm was scratched up. A light clicked on in her head. This was Tuan Tran, the really loud guy in her history class. For some odd reason, she wanted to touch him and make sure that she couldn't save him, but another part told her, more like screamed at her, to run. Run as fast as she could.

She was so entranced at this morbid discovery, she could not see Tuan's eyes fluttering open.

_Run._

His mouth moved slightly and his toes twitched -

_Run!_

- back to life. When Karen finally saw the movement, it was far too late. With a blurry quickness, his body lunged at hers. It wasn't even enough time to scream in terror before his teeth clamped down on her arm and tore a mouthful of her pretty skin. He barely gave time to chew before he was at it again; tearing and chewing at the soft flesh. She was in such a state of shock that her body just sat there.

_RUN!_

Tuan's eyes rolled back into his head as his inhuman longing was fulfilled. The blood of Karen slowly dripped down from the corners of his lips.

"You were just dead! I saw!" Karen exclaimed as she started to pull away. His grip was amazingly strong! All her struggling resulted in was a searing pain up her arm as Tuan continued to indulge himself in his bloody feast. Had she not hesitated and if she hadn't had been so captivated, Karen's luck might have been different. Another lone 'person' came up from behind her and bit into the middle of her back. Blood gushed down her back and into a forming puddle on the ground where it would soon be licked up by the things. Or, she would soak in it, a morbid marinade for these obviously sick humans.

"GET OFF!" Karen screamed, suddenly feeling more terrified then ever in her life. Pulling away only ended in being overpowered by the infected, trying to stand up was just a joke, and she knew better then to just sit there. She pushed back against the infected behind her, but unfortunately, it had grabbed a mouthful of its favorite meat. When she had pushed it back, it had not let go and she could feel the sickening feeling of her skin ripping slowly up her back. She cried out in pain and tears started to roll down her beautiful face. Her hazel eyes darted around where she saw dozens other infected things slowly progressing to her as quickly as possible. A look of pure excitement raged in their otherwise cold eyes. Each of them was somehow disfigured and mutilated.

As she turned her eyes back to Tuan who was moving his dining down to her leg, she noticed a build-up in his stomach. What she had barely noticed earlier was his stomach had been completely ripped open. Now, her bitten off body pieces were gathering up inside of the torn stomach. He turned his body to reach her thigh, and as he did, the pieces poured out in a mixture of bright blood, clotted blood, saliva, and stomach acid.

Warm vomit ejected from her mouth all over Tuan, but he was unphased. He continued to munch down on her with a delicate yet needy love. Spit dripped from her mouth and when she went to wipe it off, she smeared blood from her hand off onto her lips.

_You should have run, Kare. Now its too late. _

"No. . . No. I have to get away from this!" Karen shouted to no one and tried to get up, but landed on the ground, spraying her vomit everywhere and sitting on chunks of her breakfast.

_Mushy. Wet. Warm. _

The things had caught up and when she looked at them, she couldn't count how many there were. A dozen, yes. Two dozen, most likely. A couple more dozens, probably. The faces looked familiar and it didn't take a genius for her to realize that they were the faces of students, teachers, and supervision, all of them grabbing at her greedily.

Scratch. Bite.

_Should have run. . ._

Bite. Scratch.

Slowly, as more and more catered in delight at the free food, the life drained out of Karen. Although no one was there to listen, she whimpered her last breath before her body became still and her body became an exhibit to all those infected who took part in its destruction.

**The idea of having the flesh come out of his stomach as he was eating was brought to me by the book "Zombie Survival Guide" by Max Brooks. In it, the author explained that zombies don't have digestive systems so if a zombie eats a lot, its stomach explodes. So, I thought "How gross would it be if the stomach was already ripped open and you saw your own flesh be eaten and then drop out of a zombie's stomach!?" Disgusting, yeah?**


	10. Chapter 10

**I have a lot of people to thank for in this chapter! The ones that helped so much are Wesley, Alyx, Mum and Taylar. And to Carradine, ARomero1Tolkien, and Yendor87, you are such an inspiration! Thank you, you guys! (( My mum helped me out with the medical references! Once again, I owe her! Love you mummy!))**

He could blame a lot of people. He could blame the scientists who hadn't found a single cure. He could blame nature for helping to create the elements that allowed such a horrid thing to be born. He could blame the police for not simply doing their jobs. But in the end, Tristan knew who he was going to blame for not ensuring his sister's safety since the very beginning: Himself.

He should have done something, anything. Instead, he had run off with everyone else afraid to face the inevitable. Yes, he cared for Laura and Annie, but they weren't his sister. No one could replace the hole left in his heart. He would have done anything for her, without a second thought. And now? Now he couldn't hug her or look into her bright eyes and tell her everything was going to be just fine because they had eachother. Instead, here he was worrying so much, he was going to end up doing something he'd regret. He wondered if she was thinking about him or if she could even think at all. Was she lifeless, like Hao or Mrs. Thomas? Was she dead like Tuan? Or, was she invisible to the world as she hid from the abominations stumbling around with their dead gaze fixed on anything that moved?

Barely at first, but gaining intensity with every passing second, Annie shook his arm.

"Tristan? They want us in the office," Annie said and from the look in her eyes, he would have to be stupid to not notice they were a look of worry. Or the way she held her bottom lip in her mouth when she was in deep thought. She probably was having worried thoughts regarding him.

"I'll be there soon, promise," Tristan replied with a fake smile and stood up, dusting any possible dirt that had collected while he sat thinking of his lost sister. Annie stared at him for a moment, still holding her precious lip in her warm mouth. A mouth he had kissed a thousand times and never tired of, lips he had often caressed with his thumb when she had fallen asleep next to him. How he had cared for her. But not enough to drive the haunting memory of what Amy had become from his mind.

Before he knew what he was doing and what other thoughts were going to plague his mind, he took Annie's slender and long hand in his and started toward the office.

"You know, she'll turn out fine in the end."

Annie's blunt statement stunned him for a second, but he recovered fairly quickly.

"Who?" Tristan asked stupidly, not daring to look at her.

"Amy," answered Annie. Her name tugged at his heart and he fought the need to run out the door to Amy. When he would hear her laugh or talk about her love for music or when he could watch the way her smile lit up her beautiful face, only then would he not have such an aching pulling at his heart, mocking him.

"Of course she'll be fine," Tristan responded with another awkward forced smile, but it took a lot to say those five words. A silence fell over the both until they reached the office. Mrs. Fernandez was sitting in the desk chair, Kidd and the twins were on the worn couch against the wall, Jessica was sitting on a chair that had been in the corner, Lilian and Tom were sitting on the table by the door ( fairly close, everyone noted) and Mrs. Daylewood was leaned against the doorframe. Everyone else was on the floor of the office, facing the portable TV. Grabbing a spot by Laura, Tristan and Annie sat down.

"Reports haven't improved. The police have simply been overrun, leaving few safe places. They want every healthy person to go there, to the safe places, for safety and protection," Lilian's soft voice said, turning her head away from the TV and to everyone.

"We shouldn't go," Annie spoke up quickly and everyone turned to her in surprise.

"Why wouldn't we want to do that?" Mr. Daylewood asked simply, pulling his hands from his pockets and crossing his arms over his chest. Annie shook her head.

"Because, everyone goes there. If just one infected person goes there , no one will have the guts to do something about it until the last second. Not only that, but its just like a large platter for the zombies. Hordes of zombies will take over the place," Annie answered. That left everyone in silence for a second.

"Then what do we do? I don't wanna sit in this place until they all, like, starve or something," Lynne informed, her tone showing that she was getting really irritated.

"We wait. We get this place safe. You know, like, secure the exits. Start water in the sinks and plug it so if the faucet goes, we have that. Have an escape plan," Annie shrugged, but her voice was confident.

_Must be from that zombie book she read._

"Ok, what about food?" Jessica asked. "We can't exactly live WITHOUT food. Its a necessity."

"I haven't thought that far. Just enough to get safe. Thought that would be a better idea then standing out there, getting eaten, while we thought about everything precisely," Annie answered coldly.

"We could all eat eachother." Tom said sarcastically, and Lynne rolled her eyes at him.

"Thats not even funny, Tom! Seriously, man. Not even funny," Lynne said and sighed.

"I didn't want to bring this up, but we kind of need to go out again," Kyle voiced. Everyone now brought their gaze to him.

"Why the hell would we want to do that?!" Laura asked in disbelief.

And then Kyle dropped the ball. Kylie was diabetic and had forgotten to take her insulin due to the rush she had been in to get out of their house. Their mom's lover was drunk and was yelling and picking a fight, which they didn't tell the group, and the twins had left quicker than a rabbit in a chase. Kylie needed the insulin before something too bad happened.

"You have to be kidding me! Why didn't you grab it when we were leaving the classroom?!" Lynne asked, her voice not only indicating her irritation but her anger as well.

"Sorry. Next time we watch the world go to hell on the television, i'll remember it. Won't happen again," Kylie said sarcastically.

"Excuse me?!" Lynne asked.

"Do I have to repeat myself? Insulin. Shot. Bang. I'm better! Got it now?" Kylie restated with even more irritation then Lynne.

"Stop it.this isnt a time to be fighting! " VyVy begged and looked at Mr. Daylewood expecting to have him do something.

"Bitch," Kylie said under her breath.

"I HEARD THAT! Screw you and the insulin!" Lynne said and almost jumped up if not for VyVy who grabbed onto Lynne's baggy pants and held her down.

"Ok. Insulin. Wonderful," Mr. Daylewood said and covered his hazel eyes with his hands in frustration.

"I can get it. My skateboard just needs to be washed off from the blood and shit. I am pretty quick," Kidd offered and bit her lip for a second before speaking again. "And I am tiny so I can hide real well."

"Kidd. Again, I bring up the noise. It wouldn't be good to attract every thing in the area," Annie said and pulled her knees to her chest so she could rest her chin on her knees.

"Then i'll walk. Simple," Kidd said with a shrug.

"I'll go. Its my sister after all."

"No. I can go. Get some help and all that stuff. And I won't do anything stupid. No shinanagins either."

Everyone was offering and Kyle wondered if they were sincere or if they just wanted to get out away from all this. It would be the perfect plan. Get while the gettings good. All they had to do was say they were going to get help and leave the rest to rot. Typical stuff that went on in the movies and television.

"Guys! Be quiet. I'll do it."

Everyone turned their gaze, yet again, to Tristan. He was standing now and they could get a real look of how toned he was, all six foot of him. He was athletic, Annie and Laura knew, and he wasn't going to be stupid. He had a real brain in that head of his. And Annie knew another reason why he would offer. Protect Kylie in the way because he had felt he had let Amy down.

"Why you though, compared to someone else, such as Kidd?" asked Kyle.

"'Cause i'm fit, not saying you aren't Kidd, and I am quiet. I can avoid a lot. I won't take no for an answer either," Tristan answered back, and his determined look hit his boyishly handsome face. Annie noticed the stubborn look in his hazel eyes and a smirk crossed her face.

"I don't know, Tristan. She is my sister. And I am pretty toned as well. Wrestling isn't for the weak," Kyle said and got a joking smile.

"Then we'll both help out. You have my back, I have yours."

After considering it for a second, Kyle bit his lip and nodded. He didn't know why, but he felt that Tristan was doing it for himself as well as Kylie. Perhaps guilt at the situation and he needed a forgiveness of some kind. Either one, Kyle trusted him.

"Yeah. Lets go."

He walked up to Tristan and looked him in the eye, hoping Tristan could see the look of gratitude in Kyle's eyes. Tristan merely nodded and they looked at everyone else, who seemed to let it all sink in. They didn't have a voice in this choice. Kyle was worried for his sister and Tristan was damn determined. Those two qualities were something that shouldn't be messed with, so without a word of disagreement, they all nodded their heads as if saying 'Go right along but don't get eaten by the creatures that live for your bodily organs!'. Ok, maybe not all that, but there was recognition for the act in which they were about to do. Kylie, Annie, and Laura all stood up and walked with Tristan and Kyle to the door to the outside world.

Kylie gave her brother a hug, letting all of her thanks and words be explained in the way she held him close to her. He was her life force. Without him, she would probably diminish and no one would remember her. He knew that too.

"I'll be back in a jiffy. Save me a good spot on the couch, k?" Kyle said, and as he hugged his sister, he realized how badly she was shaking. Not for fear, anxiety, or sadness, but because she needed sugar. Badly. She needed her insulin and food. They broke away and he stood by the door, tall and muscular in that highschool wrestler way, and waited on his comrade.

Tristan gave Laura a friendly hug and Annie a kiss on the cheek and a hug. The way they both smiled at him in that way they did. The way they told him that they weren't happy with his possibly fatal decision but were going to stand by him. As he walked to Kyle, Annie grabbed his hand real quick and said quietly just so he could hear.

"Amy would be proud. She knew about her brother's selflessness."

Then she smiled at him. Sincerly too. And from that moment as he looked at her, he knew that he was going to protect Laura and Annie with sheer force. With all the strength in his body. And better then he had for Amy.


End file.
